Waterparks‘s ‘Entertainment’ sparkles with star dust at every turn

The greats all have one thing in common. Sure, they may know how to make great albums, but it’s not all down to their sonic skills. Each and every one, in their own way, has something extra – an ability to play with the dark arts to become something more than just the chords and lyrics they commit to record. It’s a skill that seems increasingly rare. For every new act that comes along, only a couple from each generation feel like they might have the raw personality to develop true staying power. When it comes to the latest graduating class, Waterparks have it in spades.

It’s not just Awsten Knight’s ability to connect on the widest possible scale that fuels their rocket ship, but it sure as hell helps. It’s a presence that runs throughout second album ‘Entertainment’ – a record that sparkles with star dust at every turn. Take the Patrick Stump-esque opening blast of ‘Blonde’, the carefree whistles of ‘Peach (Lobotomy)’ and the carefully pulled heartstrings of ‘Lucky People’ – each lifted magpie-like, but blended into a cohesive whole. The parts used are only half the craft – it’s the way they put them together that supercharges their ascent. Every sideswipe or piece of wordplay lands, every hook sticking like glue. True originality is great, but it’s far from everything. Waterparks understand their world well enough to build within it far more effectively than they ever could by leaving it behind. Stephen Ackroyd